CARNOUSTIE, Scotland — Picking the clear-cut favorite to win the 147th British Open this week is as difficult as players will find it trying to keep their tee shots in the narrow, baked-out, fiery fairways at Carnoustie.

“I think that’s the beauty of it,” Justin Rose said Tuesday. “It’s going to favor a patient [player] for sure, because even if you play this golf course aggressively, you’re going to have ups and downs during the week. You’re going to have bad lies. You’re going to have shots that do end up in bunkers. You’re going to have breaks and bounces that go against you.

“So I think accepting that is probably the biggest, wide-sweeping statement that the player who wins is going to have to be patient with all of that, for sure. That’s the beauty of this golf course, is that length isn’t a necessity, which brings the whole field into it from that point of view. But there are players like Dustin [Johnson] and Brooks [Koepka] who are going to take it on, and should they have a great week off the tee, they can do a lot of damage.

“There are going to be some scores out there to be had, especially early in the week if the winds aren’t too strong. And later in the week, if it dries out, I think the R&A [The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews], they’re probably going to let the greens firm up a hair more than they’re at. With stronger winds forecast over the weekend, I think you’re going to have guys with a chance to score early in the week, and it will be tough going into the weekend. That’s the perfect major championship scenario, I think.’’

Rose is grouped with Jordan Spieth, who won the Open last year, but he said that doesn’t make Spieth an automatic favorite.

“I feel like the golf course doesn’t know who’s the defending champion,” Rose said. “It changes every year. I feel like defending champion really means a lot when you go to the same venue the following year. When you go to a new venue, it doesn’t really count much at all, other than he knows how to play links golf and he’s prevailed, and there will be good memories for him.’’

Justin Thomas, the 2017 PGA Championship winner who’s ranked No. 2 in the world, said, “It’s hard to say’’ who the favorite should be this week.

“You don’t know,’’ he said. “You look at those handful of guys that are in contention about every time they play.”

Johnson remains the No. 1-ranked player in the world, but has one top-10 finish in his last five Opens.

“I feel the game is in really good form this week,’’ Johnson said Tuesday. “I’ve had four weeks off, so I’ve had a lot of rest. I feel good about the game. I’ve had a lot of practice. I got here Saturday and played the course quite a few times. I think the course is in good shape. I think it’s going to be a good test.’’

Patrick Reed, the reigning Masters champion, has missed the cut in two of the four Opens he’s played, including last year at Royal Birkdale. Yet, he, like Johnson, sounded bullish on his form.

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“I feel like the game’s where it needs to be,’’ Reed said Tuesday. “[I’m] just trying to get a little bit more and more comfortable with the place on landing the ball short and letting it run. I feel good. Just can’t wait for the week to get started.’’

Thomas, who was ranked No. 1 in the world earlier this season, has a missed cut last year and a tie for 53rd in 2017 in his two Open Championship starts.

“But I love links golf,’’ Thomas said. “I feel like I am a good links player, although I don’t really have the results to show.’’

He said winning a Claret Jug “would mean a lot for my career.’’

“I can’t necessarily put it into words, because I think it’s just one of those things you can’t describe unless it happens,’’ he said. “It would be extremely, extremely special, just the amount of history that goes into this tournament. I’ve always felt this would be one of my more favorite wins that I could have as a player, because it just takes such a wide variety of golf shots and such a complete game to win here.”